1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to an image forming apparatus giving a sheet finishing to printed matter where an image has been formed.
2. Description of Related Art
Complex machines based on a copying machine further having functions of such as a printer, facsimile and the like are in widespread use. These complex machines have various functions based on intended purposes in order to fulfill user's various requests in recent years. For example, known is an image forming apparatus having a sheet finisher unit for giving a sheet finishing such as side stitching, saddle stitching, various folding, punching and the like to printed matter where an image has been formed. Such sheet finisher units have a plurality of sheet ejection trays, and printed matter processed by various functions is ejected to a sheet ejection tray corresponding to each type of process.
Among an image forming apparatus having a multifunctional sheet finisher unit, known is an image forming apparatus where a schedule of jobs is managed according to a function of the sheet finisher unit so as to improve a productivity thereof (for example, see JP Tokukai 2000-263898A). Among an image forming apparatus having a plurality of sheet ejection tray, known is an image forming apparatus where an informing member is provided at a vicinity of the sheet ejection trays so as to be capable of informing a completion of sheet ejection (for example, see JP Tokukai 2000-263889A). Among an image forming apparatus having a plurality of output bins, known is an output bin managing apparatus for indicating the output bin which has output a printing job in a recognizable manner by judging an output a recording material according to a destination of a printing job (for example JP Tokukai 2001-265561A).
However, though the above-described image forming apparatuses perform an optimal schedule management according to a function of the sheet finisher unit, they do not clearly indicate a sheet ejection tray where managed printed matter is to be ejected. That is, according to the image forming apparatuses in earlier development, printed matter where various sheet finishing is performed is ejected to individual sheet ejection trays which are different from one another corresponding to the given treatment. Thus, it has been impossible for a user to know the sheet ejection tray by himself, where a printed matter output is to be ejected, since the apparatuses do not have a constitution for showing the sheet ejection tray clearly. For this reason, when a large amount of printed matter is ejected, it has been problematic that a destination of ejection position of a desired printed matter becomes uncertain.
Further, a high-capacity sheet ejection tray (stacker) is provided to a sheet finisher unit, some stackers have a door so that a user can not check an internal structure. Here, when the door of a stacker is opened or closed by accident, the process is interrupted by a safety function. That is, it has been problematic that a jam occurs and which results a degradation of processing efficiency.
In the above-described image forming apparatuses, since the sheet ejected at the last informs a certain sheet ejection tray, the sheet ejection tray is not informed until the process is completed. Thus, an ejected sheet is not collected effectively. Further, in the above-described output bin managing apparatus, an indicating member for indicating an output bin which is a destination of ejection according to a printing job is provided apart from the output bin. Therefore it has been problematic that the output bin where a sheet has ejected according to a printing job is not recognizable visually.